Top 10 Engineering Careers
There are dozens of different specialties in the engineering field, but every engineer works toward the creation of machines and structures. Engineers typically earn high pay and each job on the list of top 10 engineering jobs only requires a Bachelor’s degree.
Biomedical engineers top the list with a 23% job outlook and a median salary of over $86K a year. Petroleum engineers claim even more with the average pay topping over $129K a year, however the lower job outlook puts petroleum engineers squarely at the #2 spot. Civil engineers round out the top 3 with a high number of new job openings projected through 2024 and a median salary of $82K a year.
See how we ranked the top engineering careers.
The highest score using our ranking system is 100

Biomedical Engineer
#1 Biomedical Engineer
Overall Score: 75 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Modern medicine allows people to live longer and healthier lives when compared to our ancestors. Much of this is thanks to the basic research of biomedical scientists, and the biomedical engineers who take those discoveries and put them into practical use … learn more
Median Salary: $86,220 | Salary Span: $88,040
Job Outlook: 23% | # of New Jobs: 5,100

Petroleum Engineer
#2 Petroleum Engineer
Overall Score: 71 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Petroleum and other hydrocarbons are the lifeblood of our industrial society. Petroleum engineers work with and create the technology used to find, extract, and process petroleum … learn more
Median Salary: $129,990 | Salary Span: $112,320
Job Outlook: 10% | # of New Jobs: 3,400

Civil Engineer
#3 Civil Engineer
Overall Score: 69 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Civil engineers specialize in the creation and management of the large-scale structures that serve as part of our public infrastructure … learn more
Median Salary: $82,220 | Salary Span: $76,950
Job Outlook: 8% | # of New Jobs: 23,600

Environmental Engineer
#4 Environmental Engineer
Overall Score: 67 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Environmental engineers solve problems related to how people and businesses interact with their environment. This can be anything from tropical forests, to densely populated cities … learn more
Median Salary: $84,560 | Salary Span: $78,210
Job Outlook: 12% | # of New Jobs: 6,800

Mechanical Engineer
#5 Mechanical Engineer
Overall Score: 66 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
The versatility of mechanical engineers can be seen throughout all of engineering. Their work can be found in most of the products, technologies, and buildings we use in our everyday life … learn more
Median Salary: $83,590 | Salary Span: $74,790
Job Outlook: 5% | # of New Jobs: 14,600

Chemical Engineer
#6 Chemical Engineer
Overall Score: 64 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Most of our food and drugs rely on the design and production of complex chemicals. Chemical engineers are tasked with finding practical ways of doing that … learn more
Median Salary: $97,360 | Salary Span: $97,690
Job Outlook: 2% | # of New Jobs: 600

Architect
#7 Architect
Overall Score: 64 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Architects design and plan the construction of new buildings. They bridge the gap between artists and engineers … learn more
Median Salary: $76,100 | Salary Span: $79,440
Job Outlook: 7% | # of New Jobs: 7,800

Marine Engineer
#8 Marine Engineer
Overall Score: 63 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
While aerospace engineers focus on aircraft, marine engineers focus on ships, boats, and other marine vessels … learn more
Median Salary: $93,110 | Salary Span: $88,220
Job Outlook: 9% | # of New Jobs: 700

Aerospace Engineer
#9 Aerospace Engineer
Overall Score: 60 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Aerospace engineers specialize in the creation of both aircraft and spacecraft. Their designs make modern air travel possible … learn more
Median Salary: $107,830 | Salary Span: $90,850
Job Outlook: -2% | # of New Jobs: -1,600

Cartographer & Photogrammetrist
#10 Cartographer and Photogrammetrist
Overall Score: 58 | Typical Education: Bachelor’s
Using the accurate photographic imaging of landscapes, photogrammetrists measure and survey the position and motion of the imaged objects … learn more
Median Salary: $61,880 | Salary Span: $58,740
Job Outlook: 29% | # of New Jobs: 3,600